Power-takeoff assembly for connecting farm implements to a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A self-propelled farm vehicle, e.g., a crop-pickup loader or wagon, is fitted with a horizontal profiled bumper of noncircular cross section along which an implement hitch or support can ride. This support is provided with a hydraulic cylinder which operates a parallelogrammatic linkage connected to a generally upright member which can be lifted or lowered relative to the bumper or crossbar. A generally cylindrical coupling bolt having a narrow end is mounted on this vertical member and is adapted to engage in a confronting hole on a farm implement. A locking pawl catching in a groove on the bolt holds the implement in place while allowing it to swing from side to side to a limited extent. A power-takeoff shaft is journaled in a plate pivoted about a horizontal axis on the bumper and is coupled with a pivotal chain transmission on the implement.

D United States Patent [111 3,776,327 Klopfer et al. Dec; 4, 1973 [54]POWER-TAKEOFF ASSEMBLY FOR 2,490,698 12/1949 McClenny 180/53 C ONN NGFARM [MPLEMENTS o A 1,935,811 11/1933 Metcalf. 180/53 R VEHICLE2,696,703 12/1954 Kucera.... 56/ 192 X 1,754,348 5/ 1930 Browne 173/26[75] Inventors: Emil Klopfer, Engen; Martin Stelzle, 2,636,335 4/1953Whitney 56/192 X Gottmadingen; Edwin Schneble, Gailingen, all of GermanyMaschinenfabrik Fahr AG, Gottmadingen, Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 28, 1970[21] Appl. No.: 84,873

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 821,707, May 5,1969, Pat. No.

[73] Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 14, 1968 Germany P 17 57 480References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1967 Hautzenroeder 180/14 RPrimary Examinerl(enneth l-l. Betts Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACTA self-propelled farm vehicle, 'e.g., a crop-pickup loader or wagon, isfitted with a horizontal profiled bumper of noncircular cross sectionalong which an implement hitch or support can ride. This support isprovided with a hydraulic cylinder which operates a parallelogrammaticlinkage connected to a generally upright member which can be lifted orlowered relative to the bumper or crossbar. A generally cylindricalcoupling bolt having a narrow end is mounted on this vertical member andis adapted to engage in a confronting hole on a farm implement. Alocking pawl catching in a groove on the bolt holds the implement inplace while allowing it to swing from side to side to a limited extent.A power-takeoff shaft is joumaled in a plate pivoted about a horizontal.axis on the bumper and is coupled with a pivotal chain transmission onthe implement.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures SHEET 10E 7 PATENIEDJ 4 ms PATENIEUHEB 4 I9753. 776,827

SHEET u 0F 7 PMENIEUUEB 4 ms SHEET 5 [1F 7 PATENIEU DEC 4 I975 SHEET 6BF 7 POWER-TAKEOFF ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING FARM IMPLEMENTS TO A VEHICLEThis application is a division of our application Ser. No. 82l,7()7,filed May 5, I969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,574.

Our present invention relates to a hitch and powertakeoff assembly forattaching an implement to a vehicle and, more particularly, for couplinga soil or crop preparation, tedding, planting or harvesting farmimplement to a self-propelled farm vehicle, especially a self-propelledpickup wagon or truck having a croppickup unit at its end to liftpreviously cut (and swathed) crop material from the ground into thetruck.

Both front and rear hitch assemblies are known for farm vehicles,usually farm tractors, and implements connectable thereto. Suchassemblies generally have a simple member which can be displacedupwardly and downwardly and to which an implement can be coupled. Such ahitch does not readily permit adjustment of the position of theimplement laterally of the direction of travel of the vehicle. Thisimplement must, therefore, be used in one position, whether that isconvenient or not. Furthermore, such assemblies provide very littleadaptability for different tools.

The difficulty is especially acute when the vehicle is a self'propelledagricultural truck or pickup wagon. Such units are provided at theirfront ends with so called pickup mechanisms designed to lift a cropmaterial, preferably from a swath or windrow onto the vehicle forstorage, further processing, packaging or simply transportation. It isparticularly convenient, with such machines, to provide implements orattachments ahead of the pickup unit, such attachments including, forinstance, rotary or outriggers mower assemblies (sicklebar arrangements)adapted to cut the crop material, cropturning and crop-tedding rakes forpreviously cut crop material, windrowing rakes for gathering the cropmaterial and positioning it in alignment with the pickup unit, etc.Since the pickup attachment may have a wide or narrow throat and/or theattachment to be affixed to the self-propelled machine may beappropriately positioned at the center or to a side, depending upon thenature of the attachment or the task to be performed, ease ofpositioning the attachment transversely of the direction of vehicletravel is essential.

It is, therefore, the general object of our present invention to providean improved hitch assembly.

More specifically, it is an object of our invention to provide a hitchassembly which is extremely adaptable and which can be used in manypositions with many different implements.

A further object is to provide a power-takeofi assembly which isextremely adaptable and which can be used with our improved hitchassembly.

A more specific object of our present invention is to provide, for thecombination of a self-propelled agri cultural field-traveling machineand an implement to be removably affixed thereto for field work, animproved system for connecting the implement to the vehicle whereby theimplement can be conveniently and accurately positioned transversely ofthe direction of vehicle travel and, in spite of its selectivepositioning, can be raised or lowered in a convenient manner.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an imrovedself-propelled agricultural vehicle with readily adjustable hitch meansenabling a wide variety of implements to be removably attached theretoin a variety of positions and with relative ease of control.

The above objects are attained, in accordance with the principalfeatures of the invention, with a hitch assembly consisting ofa profiledbumper mounted (or traverse bar of noncircular cross sectionlon thefront and/or rear ofa vehicle and having a uniform cross sectiontransversely of the direction of travel. A support is provided to ridealong, and be locked at any position on this bumper or rail, but cannottwist or rotate around it. A substantially parallellogrammatic linkageconsisting of at least one lower and one upper link is connected at oneend to the support and at the other end to a coupling member or bar. Ahydraulic cylinder is braced against this support and serves to lift theoutside end of the links.

According to a further feature of our present invention, a coupling boltconsisting of two cylindrical portions of different diameters,preferably in a l:2 relationship, separated by a frustoconical neckportion, is engageable in a similarly dimensioned, generallycomplementary, hole in the implement. A groove around the narrowerleading end of the bolt is engageable by a nose ofa locking pqwl to holdthe implement in place while allowing it to rock from side to sidependulously to a limited extent about an axis defined by the pin.

The power-takeoff assembly of the present invention consists of a driveshaft, which may be connected via a clutch to a motor; the drive shaft,in turn, is connected by a universal joint with a power-takeoff shaftwhich is journaled in a support suspended from the bumper. The implementis provided with a chain transmission coupled to this shaft to allow agreat freedom of movement to the implement (e.g., at least two degreesof freedom whereby the implement may be shifted longitudinally along therail] and raised and lowered relatively thereto). The plate, or supportmember is pivotal about two horizontal mutually transverse axes to aidthis motion.

Thus, the assemblies according to the present invention allow a farmimplement to be quickly and easily coupled to the hitch. Then itslateral setting relative to the vehicle is simply a matter of sliding italong and locking it in the desired plane. Furthermore, this hitchassembly serves equally well for a multitude of different implements.

The above and other objects, features and advantages will become readilyapparent from the following description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the hitch used to mount a plurality of rotarymowers on the front of a crop loader;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a detail of FIG. 3, in enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is the apparatus shown as in FIG. 2, with the mower in itsraised, transport position;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a hay rake mounted by another embodiment of oneof my hitches on the front of a crop loader;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing two positions a rotary mower canassume using the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a farm vehicle 1, here a front crop loader, has afront bumper 2 in the form of a horizontal beam or rail with a generallytrapezoidal cross section. The rail or beam runs transversely of thedirection of travel of the vehicle.

As is shown in better detail in FIG. 3, this beam 2 has a front face 2a,a top side 3, and a bottom side 4 both converging away from this face2a. A support 5 lies with rollers 34 against this face 2a and withrespective rollers 6 and 7 against the flanks 3 and 4 of the beam 2.These rollers 34, 6, and 7 stand perpendicular to the surfaces on whichthey are intended to roll. Thus, the support 5 can be displaced alongthe beam 2 with little effort, but, since it effectively embraces thisbeam 2, is constrained from twisting thereabout.

An eccentric disk 35 with a handle 36 is pivoted about a pin 37 whichextends transversely to the vehicle direction of travel as representedby an arrow A. This wheel 35 can cammingly engage the. face 20 of thebeam 2 to lock it in place when desired.

FIG. 2 also shows how two upper links 8 and two lower links 9 arepivoted on the support 5 and on a coupling member as bar 10. The links 8and 9 here are of equal length to form a parallelogrammatic linkage.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 a horizontal, forwardly extendingcoupling bolt 11 is fixed on the lower enf of the coupling member 10.This bolt 11 has a pointed, conical end 38, an annular groove 16, arelatively narrow leading end portion 12, a frustoconical neck 14, and arelatively thick waist portion 13, the portion 13 being twice as thickas the portion 12. A bore 39 of corresponding dimensions andconfiguration is formed as a coupling body 15 on elongated support 22 onwhich are mounted four rotary mowers 21. A locking pawl 18 pivotal onthe body 15 is formed with a nose l7 urged into the groove 16 by aspring 19. A cable 20 leads to a control panel 39 located adjacent theoperators seat 40.

A downwardly extending, depending arm 41 is mounted on the support 5 andserves as one end mounting point for a hydraulic cylinder 23 whose otherend is pivoted near the center of the upper links by means of a crossbar 42. This cylinder 23 is also controlled from the drivers seat 40.

An output drive shaft 27 leading from a prime mover has a universaljoint connected to a power-takeoff shaft 44 journaled in a supportmember or hanging plate 28 which is pivoted on the bumper 2 at 30 andfitted with a hinge allowing it to bend at 29. Thus, this plate 28 has 2of freedom-one transverse to and one parallel to the direction of travelof the vehicle 1. The end of the shaft 44 is connected to a chaintransmission 31 which in turn can pivot about an axis 45 parallel to thedirection of arrow A.

Thus, to mount an implement on the hitch assembly, the front couplingmember is dropped and the pin 11 lined up with the bore 39 in theimplement frame. Then the vehicle 1 is moved forwards and the nose l7automatically engages in the groove 16 to lock it in place. Thepreferably splined shaft 44 is also fitted through the transmission 31and clamped by means not shown. Then the piston 23 can be actuated suchthat the support frame member 22 of the implement is lifted until itcontacts the two links 9. This holds it in a firm horizontal position infront of the vehicle 1, as illustrated in FIG. 5 with no rockingpossible due to three-point contact. The setting of the support 5 alongthe beam 2 it in place.

When the location intended to be worked is arrived at, the piston 23 isdrained to lower the mowers 21. Once the beam 22 leaves contact with thetwo links 9, it is free to rock to a limited degree about the bolt 11 toconform to the terrain. This rocking will not effect the functioning ofthe power-takeoff assembly at all.

To finally free the mowers 21 from the vehicle 1, they need merely belowered onto the ground, the cable 20 pulled to draw the nose 17 out ofthe groove 16, and the vehicle backed away from them.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8, in order to reduce the dimensionsof the vehicle 1, the mowers, which are used in the position shown by32, can be slid to the center as shown by 33..

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a similar system wherein like numbers refer tolike'parts. Here, however, a hay rake 45 is mounted on the hitchassembly which is different only in that its lower links 9 are longerthan the upper links 8. The rake 45 has a frame 25 with a vertical U-shaped member 25' surrounding the hitch assembly. This member 25 has abar 26 pivotal on it and engageable around a pin 24 on the top of thebar 10. During normal operation the rake 45 is down and the bar 26 hangsin the dot-dash line position 26. However, during transport this bar 26is swung around and dropped over the pin 24. This action prevents theforward end of the rake 45 from dropping when it is lifted. In addition,since the links 9 are longer than the links 8, the front end of the rake45 is lifted higher (and faster) than the rear end. Such a transportposition is especially useful with especially long implements, such ascorn choppers.

It is to be noted that, as the ratio of the diameters of the twocylindrical lengths 12 and 13 increases, above the aforedescn'bedminimum of 1:2, the simpler becomes the attachment of the implement.

Although the hitch and power-takeoff assemblies are described as used ona crop front loader, they are not by any means limited to such vehicles.Indeed, a great advantage of them is that if, for instance, a normalfarm vehicle such as a truck is fitted with a bumper as shown, duringharvesting and planting it can also serve as a tractor for many tasksusually reserved for tractors alone.

Furthermore, snow plows, spraying devices, and many different pieces ofequipment can be quickly and easily mounted with my hitch assembly. Thebumper need not only be mounted on the front, as shown here, but can beon the back also. It is thereby possible to mount one implement, forexample a fertilizing dispenser, on the front of a vehicle while a plowor harrow can be mounted on the back and two operations can be carriedout at one pass, perhaps, by a standard heavyduty farm truck normallyused for deliveries or other nonagricultural purposes.

In addition, two different supports 5 or more can possibly be mounted onone bumper for special tasks, or in case of emergencies. Yet, when theyare not needed, these hitches can easily be slipped off the bumper andset aside.

We claim:

1. A power-takeoff assembly for coupling an implement to a vehicle, saidassembly comprising:

a support member pivotally mounted on said vehicle for swinging movementabout a first generally horishaft, an input sprocket in said housingconnected to said power-take off shaft therein and driven thereby, anoutput sprocket spaced from said input sprocket and joumaled in saidhousing; and

a chain coupling said sprockets/for joint rotation;

an arm on said implement pivotally connected to said housing at alocation spaced from said power-take off shaft and in the region of saidoutput sprocket;

and

means connecting said output sprocket to said implement for drivingsame.

1. A power-takeoff assembly for coupling an implement to a vehicle, saidassembly comprising: a support member pivotally mounted on said vehiclefor swinging movement about a first generally horizontal axis and asecond generally horizontal axis perpendicular to said first axis andthereby having 2* of freedom, said support member having a free endremote from said vehicle; a drive shaft on said vehicle leading towardsaid support member; a horizontal power-take off shaft journaled in saidfree end of said support member and extending in the direction ofdisplacement of said vehicle; a universal joint connecting saidpower-take off shaft at one end thereof to said drive shaft; a chaintransmission having a housing swingably mounted on the other end of saidpower-take off shaft, an input sprocket in said housing connected tosaid power-take off shaft therein and driven thereby, an output sprocketspaced from said input sprocket and journaled in saiD housing; and achain coupling said sprockets/for joint rotation; an arm on saidimplement pivotally connected to said housing at a location spaced fromsaid power-take off shaft and in the region of said output sprocket; andmeans connecting said output sprocket to said implement for drivingsame.